Naruto: Killer Croc
by GamesRMine
Summary: Naruto finds a summoning scroll that contains the bloodline of the Killer Croc.
1. The Birth of a Croc

Well I hope you like Naruto the Killer Croc. And please vote on my Profile.

Twilight hung over the stinking swap as though it didn't dare let complete dark take over. Warmish black water filled with an explosion of plant growth surrounded Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune. Trees with trunks that narrowed as they left the water dotted the landscape. The surface was broken occasionally by ripples of predator or desperately fleeing prey. The team was making their way though the swamp on the way back to Konoha so Tsunade could take her position as the Hokage.

Un-noticed by them, Sound Ninja were watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Naruto was eyeing a nearby clump of trees when he spotted something that reflected the dimming light. His curiosity aroused, he spoke quietly "Hey, I see some- thing in the swamp. I'm going to get closer to see what it is."

Hearing this, everyone else turned around to argue with his decision. After all, they didn't have a lot of time to go haring off after every shiny flit that caught their eye. Tsunade spoke for all of them as he said "Stupid! Come back!", but Naruto was already wading off towards the trees, already out of sight. As they prepared to forge ahead without waiting on Naruto, the Sound Ninja silently attacked the splintered group. Quickly, they pulled weapons, their only hope that they could finish them off before the lone Naruto was attacked [they all presumed that it was an enemy he saw]. A nearly soundless battle commenced, the team working as quietly as they could in hopes that Naruto would not hear and respond and in so doing give away his lonely position.

Meanwhile, Naruto made his way though the dimly lit swamp towards the glinting light. Raucous calls from unseen birds split the air. Glancing over his shoulder, he realized that he had come farther than he thought. He could no longer see nor hear the rest of his group. Still, he resolutely forged forward- certain that the mysterious light was important. As he drew closer to the light, he saw that it was reflecting from a silvery object that was stuck in the branches of one of the trees. Excitement flooded him as he saw that it was a scroll about the size of the toad summoning contract. He cautiously made his way to it, all the while watching his step- wary of traps. Reaching the tree, he paused, then reached out and freed the scroll from it's wooden prison. When nothing untoward happened, he took a deep breath and unrolled it.

Reading carefully, he realized that it was a summoning contract with the crocodiles. He further noted that it also had a bloodline for the first person to sign it. With a sudden tightening of his stomach, his eyes flew to the bottom of the scroll. Joyous relief flooded him as he realized that there was no signature on the scroll. Barely pausing, he quickly drew a kunai and cut his finger to sign his name in blood, as was customary. As he lifted his bloody finger from the scroll, it began to glow with an eerie light. His body involuntarily jerked back as an immense pain shot though his body, starting from his heart, working it's way through his muscles, and then his skin as well. Shaking from the on-going pain, Naruto looked at his body. His skin began to thicken and turn green and scaly like that of a croc. Then, he let out a cry of agony as his nose began to elongate into a small snout and his eyes shifted slightly to each side. The searing pain in his body was not abating, and Naruto realized that his muscle mass was visibly increasing. The cry of the birds became nearly unbearable as his hearing and sense of smell joined with the overall pain in his muscles to begin to overload his brain. He brought his shaking arm up into his field of vision and noted that his nails had turned into thick razor-sharp claws. Baring his teeth, he felt them grow long and sharp [if you want a better idea of what he looked like see Killer Croc Batman Arkham Asylum]. His trembling increased and he fell to his knees. His orange shirt ripped, then tore away as did his pants leg. He grew to 3 inches larger then Lee when finally the pain grew too much to bear any more and he fell unconscious into the black water of the swamp.

The sounds of his transformation had not gone unnoticed and a Sound Ninja broke away moved in for the kill. He approached the spot where Naruto had gone under, his weapon at the ready. Raising his sword, he prepared to stab down into the water when a large croc erupted from the water. Huge jaws snapped around his body and, with a flip of it's massive body, it dragged him under. Nearby, another croc gently opened his mouth and took Naruto's unresisting body into careful jaws. Soon, a rippling water trail was the only sign of the crocs passage deeper into the swamp.

As Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune finished off the Sound Ninja, they hurried off towards the last place they had seen Naruto. Jiraiya's sharp eyes spotted an orange rag and they raced towards it. When they saw the ripped shirt, they came to an abrupt halt, horror on their faces. Glancing uneasily at each other, none wanted to be the first to say what appeared obvious- that Naruto had fallen prey to a swamp predator. With a shaking finger, Jiraiya pointed out a pool of blood nearby. "There is so much blood" he thought. Then his trembling voice broke the moment. "Minato, if you can hear me, I am sorry that I could not protect your son." Tears filled their eyes as Tsunade and Shizune said silent prayers for him and cursed Sound with all their hearts.

Some distance away, Naruto was slowly gaining consciousness. The croc had gently laid him on a protected bank and he was surrounded by other crocodiles- all watching for danger. His brow knit while he remembered all that had happened to him. Looking at his green, scaled body, he knew that no one will believe his current massive form was Naruto. Sighing, he thought "This is a new start for me, at least."

Raising himself on knobby elbows, he looked at his surroundings and realized that he could not go back to Konoha now. Even if he could convince his friends of his identity, there was no place for him there. Sitting up, he stretched his limbs and shook out his thankfully pain-free muscles. Rising purposefully, he performed the summing jutsu. Since he was expecting a toad, he was quite surprised to see a very large croc standing before him once the mist cleared. Even more surprising was the dark black vest the croc wore. Shaking his head at the strange direction his life had so suddenly taken, he inclined his head in greeting and prepared to meet his destiny.

Well there is chapter one please Review it. Also know that writing these does not mean that I will not right what you guys vote on.


	2. The Hunt

Hey, guys. There's been such a lot of you writing, that I wanted to get Chapter 2 out right away. Please review- thanks!

Jaw dropping, Naruto stared in amazement at the monstrous (clothed!) croc standing before him. His mind was still muzzy, but it appeared to be at least eighty feet long. He was shaking his head in dumb-founded surprise when an image of the scroll popped into his head. His suddenly remembered signing the contract, which made the crocodile in front of him a bit more explainable. Sitting all the way up, he cleared his throat to speak. "Excuse me, but can you um….. please explain why I look like this?" He indicated his scaly green body with one fist.

The giant croc peered sharply at him before replying in a gruff voice "This look is part of your bloodline, as is an alliance with crocodiles and alligators. The croc indicated the horde surrounding Naruto. Naruto eyed the crocodiles surrounding him. There were now nearly twenty of them, all with their heads facing various directions, alert for danger.

The croc inclined his head gently, then continued. "My name is Wani [Japanese for crocodile] , boss of the Crocodile Summons ." As Naruto's eyes sought the croc's again, his attempted smile came out as a kind of grimace (his new physiology did not allow for much range of expression). "Well, I _was_ known as Naruto, but I think I will go by Croc now."

The massive reptile threw his head back and laughed (of course it sounded gruff and not joyful at all). As his laughter died, he spoke to Naruto. " I like it. It 'suits' you now." A small chuckle escaped his massive jaws.

Naruto stared up (who ever heard of a croc with a sense of humor?) and said "Ok, I get it." This was followed by a deep breath, then "Do I have permission to summon your kind?" Naruto nearly held his breath while awaiting the answer.

The great beast caught his eyes and replied "Sure kid. You can always do that. After all, you are our first summoner." Then a sly look crossed his eyes while he watched Naruto scramble uncomfortably in the mud trying to get up. "The way out of the swamp is over there." Then, with a tilt of his head indicating a direction to the left, he puffed out of existence, leaving Naruto to head off in that direction. Naruto sighed, shook the kinks out of his massive body and started walking through the swamp with at least four crocs following him and the cries of wild birds echoing behind.

After nearly a day of walking through seemingly endless black water and spongy land with his only companions the crocodiles that never left his vicinity and the unseen, but always heard wild birds, he stopped to take stock of himself. The exercise had not tired him out and he realized that his new form must have come with increased endurance. Looking around, he noted that the scenery had changed little. As far as he could see, it was black water, split by meandering chunks of land and dotted with water trees. His gaze stopped as he realized that the cries of the birds had fallen quiet. Quickly, he crouched down and shortly he heard shouting in the distance. Swiftly, he dove into the brackish water and silently began to swim in the direction of the shouts. He barely noticed his croc companions following stealthily behind.

As he approached the source of the noise, he saw that it was a small group of merchants and their families. They appeared to be threatened by a group of armed bandits. He watched for a moment, taking in all the details, but when he saw one of the bandits roughly grab a little girl, his eyes darkened in hate and his teeth bared in an involuntary snarl.

He surveyed the scene one more time, then began to swim very fast, but also very quietly towards the bandit with the little girl. As he approached the back of one of the bandits, he leapt out of the water with a loud roar- scaring both parties. Grabbing the unlucky bandit, he raised him over his head, then threw him at the others in his group. The bandits reacted quickly and another came at him, attempting to land a punch on his face. Instead, Naruto leaned in, then bit down on the man's forearm and shook his head violently, resulting in a loud cry of pain and red gushing from the wound. Releasing his hold on the arm, Naruto hit him with a hard right. His scale hands drew more blood from the bandit's face. The other bandits had drawn back in horror and then ran away in fear while the one with the little girl was screaming in fear and panic. "I'll kill her if you come closer. I will!"

Naruto, if his face allowed, would have smirked as he notice a large crocodile moving in on the man to his back. Speaking in a gruff voice, Naruto said "Turn around." Trembling, afraid to take his eyes off Naruto, the man did not look back. The croc snapped down on his leg, forcing him to drop the girl. She swiftly ran back to her family as the man was dragged into the water. Naruto then turned his attention to the merchants and, taking a step towards them asked "Are you all right? hope ya did not get hurt did ya?"

The presumable leader of the group tentatively took a few steps towards Naruto, then responded in a shaky voice "We're fine- thanks to you. Is there anything we can give you to repay our debt?"

Naruto looked down at himself and said with a shake of his head "Yeah, some new clothes would do- if it is not to much trouble."

The leader's head bobbled as he said "Not at all! If you want, you can accompany us through the swamp. We will give you food in exchange for protection from bandits and your choice of our belongings. We are on are way to the Village of the Hidden Mist."

Naruto gave his best approximation of a smile, then said "Sure." The merchants wasted no time going through their packs and he was soon the owner of a larger pair of black pants and a brown poncho-like thing with a hood. Gathering together, they started the trek to the Village of the Hidden Mist.

Well, that was Chapter 2- hope you liked it. Please vote on my profile. Also, check out my other story 'Naruto, the Birth of a Bounty Hunter.'


	3. A New Home?

Chapter 3- hope you like it. Please vote in the poll on my profile. Also, check out my other story 'Naruto, the Birth of a Bounty Hunter.' I am still looking for ideas for the question posted on it. Thanks!

The new Mizukage [not the one responsible for the bloodline purge] was staring at his calendar and deciding that he was not having a good year. His predecessor had turned out to be Orochimaru in decade, so he could weaken Mist- hence the bloodline purge. Shaking his head, he sighed and thought that at least he had managed to save _some_ clans. Unfortunately, all the really powerful ones had died. He also made it known that the 7 Swordsman of the Mist were no longer conceited traitors. Shaking his head once more, the Mizukage thought that what he really needed was bloodlines. For a moment, he stared sightlessly around the room, questions churning around his brain. A weary, futile feeling threatened to overwhelm him. To shake it off, he stood and walked over to the window. He looked out with little interest until he saw a group of traders coming into town. "Well, at least they still had trade and good supplies." he thought. The Mizukage knew that bloodlines just didn't come up to a village, go to the 'kage's office and say "Hey, I have a bloodline. I want to become a member of this village. All right?" Shaking his head, the Mizukage allowed himself a small smile at his fancy. While it was a fantasy, it would be oh- so much easier if it could happen that way!

Walking into the hidden Mist village, Naruto was looking around at all the new sights. It was similar to Konoha, but the buildings were shorter and painted like the ever-present Mist. It made it hard to tell where the village ended and the Mist began. Craning his neck to see more, Naruto traveled a few more feet into town, but then he stopped dead as he smelled something. A smell that had haunted his dreams many a night. His other senses forgotten, Naruto took a long whiff, them broke out into a huge grin. Ramen noodles! His stomach began to growl hungrily and his mouth watered, drool dripping from his long teeth. Following his nose, he quickly made his way towards the noodle stand in the village square. He was suddenly and almost fiercely glad he still had the money he took with him from Konoha.

As Naruto sat down to order, he checked to see that he still had his hood up (for obvious reasons- with his new "look" people might think he was more interested in them than the noodles!). Having ordered and assured himself that his noodles were on the way, he glanced around the square. It was a fairly active day with people bustling around going about their every-day business. It could have been any day in Konoha. No-one seemed to be giving him a second look, so Naruto began to relax.

With several empties and one new bowl of noodles in front of him, Naruto had relaxed enough to begin to savor the rest of his meal (the first several bowls he had bolted). As he enjoyed the salty goodness of his noodles, he gave some thought to his situation. He had not really thought about what he might do once they reached the village. He had strictly concentrated on getting the travelers safely there. Once they had arrived, he had separated from them as quickly as possible and then, well, that enticing aroma had hi-jacked him! Naruto grinned to himself. Now, though, he realized that he had some responsibilities that came along with his bloodline. "I should probably go visit the 'kage to see about becoming a ninja." he thought.

Naruto knew that it would be hard, after all it had been common knowledge that Mist people did not like bloodlines. As he scraped up the last few noodles in his bowl, Naruto decided that he might as well get the duty over with sooner rather than later. As he paid, his eyes searched above the buildings around the square and soon spotted the Mizukage Tower. Standing up, he stretched, checked that his hood was still in place, then started towards the tower. As he approached the tower, he listened to the conversations going on around him in the increasingly crowded street. His eyes widened, when he heard that Orochimaru caused the bloodline purge and that Mist wanted bloodlines- and wanted them badly! Chuckling under his breath, he felt relieved. This wouldn't be as bad as he had anticipated. He would have smiled if he could, but settled for grinning to himself.

As Naruto entered the tower and walked up the many stairs to the 'kage's office, he began to second-guess his decision. He had to admit to himself that he was suddenly scared out of his mind. He had never met a 'kage besides the Hokage, but what he knew of the others was enough to make anyone nervous. How would he explain himself? Perhaps the 'kage would take one look at him and scream for his death. He knew he barely looked human now. He paused and shook himself out of his sudden panic. He firmly reminded himself that THIS 'kage was supposed to be desperate for bloodlines, according to the conversation he had overheard. Pulling his hood more securely forward and taking a deep breath, he approached the secretary. Taking one more deep breath, Naruto cleared his throat and spoke "I would like to see the Mizukage."

Without looking up from his paperwork, the secretary replied in a bored tone "State your business with the Mizukage."

Clearing his throat again, Naruto tried for a firm tone "It's about becoming a shinobi for Mist."

The secretary's head popped up in surprise. With wide eyes, he quickly, but covertly looked Naruto over, then bustled into the kage's office. The Mizukage was trying to bring order to the piles of parchment on his desk (he sometimes felt they were his worst enemy) when his secretary burst in and told him that a man was here, asking to become a ninja for Mist. He straightened in surprise as his eyebrows flew up. The statement had taken him so off-guard that for a moment he was speechless (something that VERY rarely occurred). It quickly passed, though, and he tried to grill his secretary for details, but apparently the man had very few. Rolling his eyes at the hapless secretary, he demanded to know who would come up and just ask to become a shinobi. Finally, he flapped his hands at the man and told him to bring the guest in- immediately! As his secretary hurried from the room, the Mizukage quickly thought over his options in the upcoming conversation. He decided that he would talk to the stranger in a friendly tone and try not to appear too eager so as to not scare away potential ninja. He rubbed his hands as he felt a lifting of the heavy burden he had been carrying. "This could be our salvation." he thought.

Naruto was still standing in front of the empty desk when the secretary came hurrying back out and said " He will see you now" before reseating himself. While the secretary's head was bowed over his paperwork, Naruto could feel his eyes following him as he walked towards the 'kage's office.

Naruto paused briefly in front of the door, squared his shoulders, then opened it wide. He did not step in yet, but quickly looked over the room. There was a couch on the left and on the right wall were pictures of each succeeding Mizukage. Naruto noticed that one had shurikens stabbed into it (like a dart board). A massive oak desk dominated the room near the middle, piled high with parchment sorted into haphazard stacks. Two wooden chairs were arranged in front of the desk and a large leather-bound one in back held the Mizukage. His face was drawn and lined with deep wrinkles and his red, pinched eyes spoke of sleepless nights and unpleasant dreams. He had a long, pure white goatee and he was wearing shapeless gray robes. As he spotted Naruto, he waved him in with a hopeful smile. He then spoke in a fast, but friendly voice "Greetings. Now what is it that you can offer me and this village of value? Did you have ninja training before you came here? What village did you come from?" This was all said with no discernable pause for breath.

Naruto swayed back on his feet from the flood of questions, but the tone had been friendly enough, so he replied slowly and deliberately "My name is Croc now. I was from Konoha, but I do not live anywhere now. I have a summing contract and know the Rasengan and shadow clone, plus basic academy jujitsu. I possess a new bloodline that…" Here Naruto paused as he searched for the words to explain. "Well, it kind of made me look like a crocodile."

The Mizukage barely heard anything that came after "new bloodline." He was too busy mentally thanking every god he could think of for the new bloodline standing before him. Naruto noted the relief flooding the face of the Mizukage and his shoulders relaxed visibly. The 'kage strove to keep the glee out of his voice, but he was like a kid on his birthday and would have been bouncing on his seat in anticipation/excitement were his bones not too old to do so. "Well, what does this bloodline do?" he asked.

" Well, it has increased my strength, speed, and endurance. It give me the ability to stay underwater for hours, and an alliance with the crocodiles. It also gave me scaly skin, razor sharp claws, and VERY pointy teeth." As he spoke, he removed his hood (tensing up again as his face was revealed). However, the Mizukage did not recoil in disgust or fear. Instead, his eyes widened with what appeared to be surprise and joy.

The Mizukage was thinking that Croc looked intimidating and that all those additions would make him a grand shinobi! He was at least chuunin rank, just because of two jujitsu standings, but his bloodline was what made him invaluable to Mist. Grinning openly, the 'kage spoke "I will give you the chuunin rank and assign you to a team. I will also appoint someone to help teach you more. We want you to become the best you can be." He paused thoughtfully, then spoke again. "Your teammates will be Nazo and Fumiko. Your sensei will be Kei Tamou."

Naruto for his part was shocked. That had been very easy. His life had just been rearranged- again. He felt an enormous relief that he was not hated- at least not here- for his appearance. His cocky self reappeared and he did his version of a smirk while he thought "This is going to be interesting!"

Well, that is chapter 3. I hope you like it. Please review- I take your comments to heart! Also, can someone please tell me where Isaribi lives? I missed that episode. By the way, I tried to get clever with Nazo's name. See if you can discover my inspiration (hint- it lies in anime's roots). His name will clue you in to his role in later chapters.


	4. The Team?

Chapter 4. I hope you like it.

As Naruto talked with the Mizukage, he was assured that no one would bother him about his appearance. "Don't you worry." said the 'kage, "People here will be so happy about a new bloodline, that you could be green….uhhh." His voice stumbled to a halt as he took another look at Naruto's very green visage. "Well." he spoke quickly, "Don't worry, anyway." Naruto turned his head and rolled his eyes. He sighed quietly and hoped that the Mizukage was right.

The Mizukage then handed Naruto a new headband and a chuunin combat vest, which he quickly donned. Now garbed in only his vest, shinobi pants, and boots, he realized that he was showing a lot of green, scaly skin and hoped that the 'kage was right about the villagers. The Mizukage was eyeing him with visible satisfaction, muttering "A new bloodline. A NEW bloodline!!" under his breath. Smiling happily, he rubbed his hands together, then sent Naruto off to meet his new team. "I'm sure you'll get along very well." he promised Naruto.

Walking down the tower stairs, Naruto was thinking about what his team would be like. He didn't know a lot about the Mist, so wasn't sure what to expect. Finally, he told himself that there would also have been trained- much as he had. That would give them some common ground, anyway. He frowned and went over all the Mizukage had told him about his team and quickly realized that it wasn't much. Mostly just their names. One in particular stood out. "Nazo." he thought. "Now, that is a very interesting name." He wondered if there was a meaning behind the name as it wasn't one he'd ever heard before. He reached the tower door and made his way to where he had been told were the training grounds. As he approached, he noticed that it was a small clearing with training dummies all around and a nice sized lake to the right. To the left was a thick overgrown forest. The clearing was well-maintained and the dummys, while showing obvious signs of use, were in good shape. Naruto nodded approvingly. It was as it should be.

Standing relaxed near the training ground were three people- all intently watching his arrival. Closest to him was a man who appeared to be around twenty-five. He was wearing a standard jounin outfit, but his hair was wild and his face looked like he had not shaved in a week. A scar adorned his right cheek and curved over his neck and jugular.

Next to him was a girl. She appeared to be about his age. She was wearing a loose fitting shirt and pants. She had two katanas strapped to her back and a belt loaded with shurikens was in plain sight. Her hair was a pure white, but not the white of age. She had a smirk that said "Leave me alone or I kill you.".

To her left was a boy- also about his age. The boy was dressed strangely. He had on a green trench coat and black pants. He also had a cane that looked as though he could draw a blade out of it. His hips were set and his shoulders thrown back. His look just screamed "I am better then you and smarter then you, too."

As Naruto approached the trio, they checked out his appearance, also. In spite of the Mizukage's words, he almost expected them to back away or at least look disgusted. However, he detected no surprise or any other reaction and decided that news of his appearance had preceded him.

Clearing his throat, Naruto broke the silence. "Hey, are you team alpha?" His words hung in the air a beat before they all nodded. "Well," Naruto continued, " I am Croc- your new teammate." Once again, his words fell into a well of silence and were swallowed.

Finally, Kei (the older man) replied in a bored tone "Nice to meet you. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves- just our names and a little something about us. I am Kei Tamou. I like Mist soup and my dog. I dislike arrogant people." Once again, silence reigned, then Kei took a glance at Nazo before reasoning " I think that Nazo should go next."

As he spoke, Nazo looked annoyed, but answered " I am Nazo Enigma. I like mind games, puzzles, and facts. I do not like people of inferior intellect- which is almost everyone else."

As he spoke, Croc was thinking "What a jerk!" Next, Kei pointed to Fumiko.

She smiled and enthusiastically replied "I am Fumiko. I don't care if I have no last name. It is less to fill out on evil forms anyway! I like knives, swords, daggers- well, anything sharp and points. Oh, and let's not forget about pies. I like those, plus fish- but not fish pies. That's just gross." This pronouncement was accompanied by a shudder. "I do not know why, but I do not like serious people- not one bit- nor those that can not take a joke."

As Naruto looked over his new team, he could not believe how he always had to end up with such wild twists in his life.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Konoha. Danzou was talking with Root agents. He spoke "Is the genin ready for the procedure?" The Root agent nodded. "Good. Then begin _Operation Bane_." The agent leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers behind his head and smiled widely.

Well, Chapter 4. Tell me what you like! Did you notice the similarities to Batman villains? Who do you think should become Bane? Please review and also vote in the poll on my profile. It will end in 3 days. Thanks!


	5. What!

Chapter 5 is here and please check out my new poll.

A few weeks had wandered by and Naruto finally understood his team. Nazo had actually became a good friend, mainly because their skills complemented each other, while Fumiko was completely off her rocker. His sensei, Kei, was perhaps the strangest of them all. He seemed to excel at all forms of combat and was way too serious. Naruto did not know what to think after Kai bought him a sword once day fairly soon after they started training. It was the same size as Zabuza's, but it had teeth like a croc's near the handle. It had no real hilt and the blade curved into a sharp point. It was fairly heavy, but balanced well. Naruto was not sure if he loved or hated the blade.

The training that came with knife from Kei was very hard and brutal. His Taijutsu training was worse as he had to make a styli using his jaw and claws, as well as traditional punches and kicks. After his Sensei was done, he had mid-chuunin. He was tested on his elemental affinity (surprise it was very strong water affinity). So, he learned Water Dragon, Water Clone, and Hidden Mist. He was also told the secret of Shadow Clone (the user gains the clone memory). His hard training had him falling into a dead sleep each night with little time for anything but training and eating.

Today was different, though. He was in the Mizukage office with his team, about to receive a mission. "We are going to have all of you pose as genin and take the chuunin exams in Konoha. While you do that, I will be trying to get an alliance against Orochimaru with them." As the 'kage spoke, Naruto could feel his heart pounding so loudly he could hardly believe no-one else heard it. He struggled to keep the emotion off his face. He was going to his old home.

MEANWHILE:

Danzou was contemplating Bane (formerly known as Kiba). The teen was now very tall and strong. He knew that Project Bane had failed, because he could not use his chakra anymore. However, he also knew that there are some ninja who do not use chakra and this treatment would be perfect for them. But first he need a test and the Chuunin exams were the perfect place. The timing was good too as they were coming right up. He approached the restrained masked teen and spoke "You are to win the chuunin exams, but do not seriously harm any Konoha ninja. Do you understand?"

The teen lifted his head and spoke for the first time since the procedure. " I will break anyone that I fight." Danzou stared into eyes of madness and deep down he knew he had made a mistake.

Well that was chapter 5- a nice set up.


	6. Secrets

Chapter 5 is here- please review.

Naruto [wearing a cloak so you could not see his skin or face], Nazo, Fumiko and their sensei, Kei were walking down the small road to Konoha, surrounded by trees and the chatter of wildlife. They walked in silence, each contemplating the beauty around them. However, Naruto could not help but feel anxious about the situation he was in- being surrounded by people who used to know him, but did not now. Sure, he would not be able to tell his friends that he was Naruto, but he maybe he could become their friend again. These thoughts echoed around and around his head and he pulled his cloak tighter around him.

As the group approached the gate, the guards asked if they could prove that they were here for the chuunin. Kei showed them the proper papers and they were allowed through. As they entered the village square, Kei turned and spoke "Ok, do what you want for now. I am going to get you registered. Croc, here is some money for your ramen obsession." With that, Kei hurried off.

Sakura, Lee, and Hinata were in the village square, mentally preparing for the chuunin exams when they overheard a strange mist sensei say "Croc, here is some money for your ramen obsession." As one, their heads bobbed up and they all stopped dead in their tracks. As if on cue, they swiveled in time to hear someone in green cloak say "What is wrong, Croc? Normally you would say ramen is the food of the gods, followed by believe it!" The trio could only stare with ashen faces at the strange group. Then one of the girls in the group looked at 'Croc' and said something that made their hearts skip a beat. "Yeah, normally you are a happy-go-lucky kind of guy that always gets my joke! What, being in your old home make you nervous? I mean you were given a blood line from a scroll in a swamp that made you look like a lizard!"

Sakura, Lee, and Hinata could tell that the last word was an insult, but now they HAD to know who 'Croc' was really. It was not every day that they had evidence like this! They had to report to the Hokage AND talk with "Croc." Fortunately, it appeared it would be easy to locate him in the ramen stand. So the three ran to the 'kage's tower. When they found out that it would be a while before they could see the Hokage, Lee spoke his idea. "I will go see if it truly is our lost youthful friend Naruto while you two wait on our youthful Hokage." He then ran out so fast that none of them could argue.

Naruto want off by himself to his one-time favorite ramen stand. He sat down and ordered his noodles. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted an older and taller Rock Lee striding determinedly towards him with a strange expression on his face. Lee walked straight to him, then sat down next to him. They stared at each other in silence for several beats before Lee broke the tension. "I am Rock Lee, the second green beast of Konoha. Who are you, my most youthful friend?" Still hiding behind the anonymity of the deep hood on his cloak, Naruto shifted uncomfortably before replying in a gruff voice. "My name is Croc. It is nice to meet you."

Lee could sense that 'Croc' was uncomfortable in his presence. The twisty sensation in his stomach settled down. Croc and Naruto just might be one and the same. He studied the shadowed hood and hunched form as he watched 'Croc' turn back to his noodles. Wondering the best way to determine if his theory was correct, he said "Naruto"- to see 'Crocs' reaction. 'Croc' choked on his ramen and stiffened. That was all Lee needed to know that Croc was indeed Naruto. Looking over the silent and stiff form of 'Croc' once more time, Lee paid for his uneaten bowl of ramen and left to tell the Hokage. His face was scrunched in thought. Why had Naruto left and joined Mist? And why had he not contacted them before this? His face was grim as he neared the Hokage's tower.


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This story has been adopted by The Dark Graven.


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